SEMA 2018: Forgeline’s 2019 Lineup — Classic Form And Function

What can we say about Forgeline Motorsports that hasn’t already been said? Since its inception, Forgeline’s reputation has put it right at the top of the list when it comes to premium-quality, custom-made, one- and three-piece forged aluminum wheels for the track or the street. But how did it get there? You may know that Forgeline’s are manufactured in Dayton, Ohio, but what many may not know is that its lineage traces back to the Dayton Wire Wheel company — another company that had a reputation for quality and durability.

Jim Schardt went from wheel repair hobbyist to owner when Dayton Wire Wheel fell on hard times in the ’70s. His son’s, Dave and Steve, started Forgeline in 1994 when they saw an opportunity to use their experience working with their father to create a premium-quality, custom-crafted forged wheel. Their first product was a two-piece welded wheel and in 1996 they launched two new wheels at SEMA that year. The brothers haven’t looked back since and the company now offers over 70 different wheel styles.

Forgeline introduces a minimum of four new designs each year across its seven product lines, but at this year’s SEMA Show, it displayed eight new offerings. The booth was packed with people scrambling to get their eyes on the 2019 lineup. Lucky for you, you don’t have to fight the hordes of people, we have them here for you. Remember, the color/finish and fitment options are almost limitless on these, so you can let your imagination run wild. So, without further ado, here are the new designs you will see from Forgeline on the hottest cars this coming year.

Competition Series — GS1-6

You will notice the Competition Series GS1R-6 (shown here in Battleship Grey) is a 6-lug pattern (also available in 5-lug) designed for the influx of trucks hitting the track and autocrosses. Trucks are hot right now and this wheel is a reflection of the demand for a wheel that can handle the need. The lightweight, forged 6061-T6 aluminum wheel features I-beamed spokes, deeply machined centers, and aggressive load ratings. These wheels are extremely strong, stiff, and lightweight and are available in 17-inch through 20-inch diameters.

{ad:BLOCK}

One-Piece Monoblock Series — NW101, FF1

The NW101 is our personal favorite. That is one sexy wheel, and it’s not just for looks. The monoblock wheels are a fully-forged, one-piece design machined entirely from a single 6061-T6 forging to create the stiffest, strongest, and lightest wheel out there. They are available in sizes from 18 to 21 inches in a range of widths and offsets to fit most anything you can throw them on.

It looks a little grey in the picture, but this FF1 is shown in gloss white. It is also in the Monoblock series and is made from one piece of 6061-T6 aluminum, with a myriad of color and finish options from 18 to 21 inches.

{ad:BLOCK}

Concave Series — FU3C, NT3C, LS3C, SE3C

The FU3C Concave wheel features a deep concave profile for a modern muscle car(ish) look. They are three-piece wheels, custom-made-to-order with forged 6061-T6 aluminum centers in a reverse lip from 18 to 20 inches. If you prefer a stepped-lip design, they are available in 20- and 21-inch sizes. Of course, there are a variety of colors and finishes to choose from, with virtually any offset you need.

Our second favorite in the entire new lineup has to be the NT3C. With all the same features and options on a normal Concave series wheel, the NT3C is also a center-lock wheel. Tell us these wouldn’t look killer on a ’70s Porsche or any muscle car for that matter!

You don’t have center locks, you say? No worries. Forgeline makes a centerlock conversion package that replaces the multiple lug nut mounting system with a single center locking nut on each wheel. The centerlock adapters are vehicle-specific (drilled and machined specifically to fit your car) and come with a complete set of forged locking nuts and the installation kit. They can only be used with Forgeline Wheels, and just about any wheel can be manufactured with centerlocks.

How killer would the LS3C look on a restomod Firebird. They kind of harken back to the old BBS wheels of yesteryear as well, so an older Euro-restomod would look amazing with these too. The centerlocks can be left open (as they are in the photo above) or they can have a cap that screws in. You could change the look on the fly.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a picture of the SE3C at the booth, but here is a photo of it from Forgeline’s website. We dig that they showed it in matte-bronze. For some reason, we think these wheels would look stellar installed on a early Chevelle painted in that stock maroon color, but change that wheel color and the possibilities are endless.

{ad:BLOCK}

Heritage Series — JO3C

The last new wheel we feature here is the JO3C from the Heritage Series, and we’re sure you’re thinking like we are — these have restomod Hurt/Olds written all over them! But, there are obviously a ton of muscle cars that this wheels would look incredible on (especially with a color change): Mustang, Impala, GTO, you name it. The Heritage series takes those cues from classic designs and spices them up a bit to make an old school car retro-cool.

For more information on any of the new wheels, or any of the other 70-plus wheels that Forgeline makes, visit its website or give them a call and get them started on making your dream ride handle and look like a proper performance-oriented machine should.